Head of Environment and Agriculture Directorate of the Methodist Church of Ghana, Dr. Nii Addo Bruce has urged the Ghanaian religious community to take long-term sustainable steps to help reduce the effects of climate change and biodiversity conservation.

Churches and other faith-based organisations according to him must ensure an effective green environment, especially around their places of worship.

He explained religious groups in Ghana must advocate policies and lifestyles that will protect the planet and its most vulnerable habitats since they are good stewards of God’s creation.

Speaking at the maiden Creation Care Conference in Accra organised by Creation Care Network in collaboration with Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) under the auspices of A Rocha Ghana, Dr. Bruce stressed the urgent need to find green solutions to mitigate and adapt to the destruction of all life forms on the earth.

The conference was to discuss how faith-based organisations can contribute positively to addressing the challenge of climate change and biodiversity loss.

It further sought to forge collaboration between stakeholders within climate change space and faith-based organizations to develop a practical activity plan for the Network.

The network is expected to use the activity plan and help mitigate and adapt to climate change and biodiversity loss in Ghana.

Dr. Bruce stated putting faith into action by educating congregations and helping them buy energy-efficient lights and appliances, encouraging people to buy more fuel-efficient vehicles and to drive less as well as supporting renewable energy development is very critical in the fight against climate change.

A representative from the AMA, Victor Kotei, also shared with the conference the 2020- 2025 action plans of the AMA and how faith-based organizations could participate fully in its implementation.

He emphasized the large following of churches is a great opportunity for awareness creation and sensitization on climate change and its related issues.

“It was quite clear this opportunity has not been fully utilized either by AMA or actors within the climate change space. 

The conference should mark the beginning of deepening collaborations of state and non-state actors with faith-based groups on issues of climate change and biodiversity conservation,” he stated.

For his part, Chairman of the Creation Care Network, Emmanuel Turkson, inspired people of faith to support strong and quick action that will mitigate the dangers of climate change.

He observed global warming is one of the biggest threats facing humanity today since society has reneged in its responsibility to protect the environment.

“We were given natural resources to sustain us, but we were also given the responsibility to act as good stewards and preserve life for future generations,” he stressed.

He encouraged religious people to desist from jeopardizing humanity by the continued destruction of the environment, adding “every mainstream religion has the mandate to care for creation”.

The Conference was under the theme “Rallying Faith-Based Support for Climate Change and Biodiversity Challenge”.